[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/distort.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / distort

[← D](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/D/)

# distort

«distort» in Mova's school dictionary: **To change the shape of something so it looks twisted or…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (distort, distorts, distorted, distorting); noun distortion; adjective distorted

### meaning for a pupil

1) To change the shape of something so it looks twisted or wrong, as in a fun-house mirror that distorts your face. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#m1)

2) To change facts or words so they give a false idea, as in «distort the truth». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#m2)

3) To change a sound so it is unclear or crackly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science, lenses and water can distort light so things look bent, like a straw in a glass. In media and news lessons, «distorting facts» is a warning about propaganda and fake news. In music, guitars use «distortion» on purpose. In maths, map projections distort the size of countries near the poles.

### examples

- The curved mirror distorted my face. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#x1)
- The newspaper distorted what the mayor said. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#x2)
- Water distorts the look of a pencil in a glass. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#x3)
- The speaker was too loud and distorted the music. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#x4)
- Maps distort the size of Greenland. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#x5)
- Don't distort the facts to win an argument. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#x6)
- As she looked across the sea, all there grew darker; a heavy mist came rolling onwards, and clung to bush and tree, distorting them into fantastic shapes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/#x7)

### note

Regular verb. Noun «distortion». Related idea: «exaggerate» makes something bigger; «distort» bends it into a wrong shape.

### In the corpora

- [Let the proud be put to shame, for they have distorted my cause with falsehood; but I will meditate in Thy precepts.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.2241/)
- [A man shall be commended according to his intelligence; but he that is of a distorted understanding shall be despised.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.329/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «distort» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/distort/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.